Life With Dogs: Houseful Of Rescue Dogs & Cats Help Bring Dying Kitten Back From The Brink

Fiona the kitten weighed only three ounces when she was found and brought to the Humane Society for Hamilton County in Fishers, Indiana. Not only was she homeless, but at just three days old, the newborn kitten was suffering from an upper respiratory infection.

Fiona was in rough shape, but she was simply too tiny to treat medically. She would need round-the-clock care for her even to have a slight chance of surviving.

Luckily, a loving foster mom was quick to volunteer for the time-consuming task. So tiny Fiona was tucked in tight and transported to her temporary home. Once she was settled in with seasoned foster mama, Kelsey, tiny Fiona started to gain weight and show signs of having more strength. She even latched onto the bottle all on her own! Kelsey and her family were thrilled.

But then, just as everyone thought sweet Fiona was steadily improving, she took a turn for the worse. Their greatest fears started playing out right in front of their very eyes. Fiona started to decline rapidly, and it became clear that it may be time to start saying their final goodbyes.

“She started losing energy and stopped feeding. We took her to the shelter vets the next day. They did x-rays and inspected her, but couldn’t find a real answer. We were sent home with antibiotics, the smallest dose due to her size,” said Kelsey.

After returning home from the vet, Fiona’s condition continued to worsen. Despite their best efforts, she simply wasn’t improving, and Kelsey was forced to begin “failing kitten protocol.” So, in an effort to comfort one another, and to keep the teensy kitten warm, the entire family decided to cuddle up together on the couch.

Not only was the tiny kitten temporarily living with her new foster mom, but an entire entourage of animals was also waiting to lend a helping paw. Just as they were losing hope for Fiona, the whole family of rescue animals made their way onto the couch with Kelsey and Fiona. Everyone, including the animals, remained cuddled together there in the living room all night long.

They stayed up all night to keep Fiona comfortable. Together, they kept her warm by snuggling in close and placing her on their chests under a blanket. It was almost as if the presence of the other animals had a positive impact on Fiona’s health.

“Somehow, she made it through the night. She still wasn’t eating, and her body was completely limp but she was alive,” said Kelsey.

Kelsey continued to syringe-feed Fiona in the company of her rescue animals, and by that afternoon, Fiona was strong enough to prop herself up. She even made a valiant effort to eat from a bottle again. They had done it: she had survived and was finally growing stronger.

“All of a sudden she latched and drank more than she had total in two days. We cried. We were so happy,” said Kelsey.

The presence of Kelsey’s rescue animals clearly had a remarkable effect on the tiny kitten’s health. They not only provided emotional support for the exhausted foster mom, but for tiny Fiona as well.